What it does
The European Commission Audiovisual Service provides photographs, footage and other EU-related media. Its archive includes press events, institutional activity and historical material, with search routes for subjects, people, places and dates.
Choose the media type and category first: a stock shot, news item and full press conference serve different editing needs. Advanced search adds date, language, policy topic, personality and location filters. For a person’s name, type at least three letters to see matching entries.
Open a photo thumbnail to see its metadata, file size and blue Download button. Most photos are JPEGs at 300 dpi. For video, use HDMP4 beneath the preview and check Available for alternative languages. Stock shots have original sound without added commentary, music or subtitles.
Material is free for EU-related information and education. Stock shots and video news releases can be edited; documentaries must be shown complete. Some older archive files cannot be downloaded because of rights issues, so those require an Audiovisual Library enquiry.
Strengths
- Media categories separate stock shots from edited news and full events.
- The personality lookup helps identify both a person and the correct spelling of their name.
Watch out for
- Some older archive files are unavailable for direct download because of rights issues.
Best for
- Media professionals and educators sourcing EU-related visuals
Sources
- Audiovisual Service (Oct 27, 2026)
- Audiovisual Service: Frequently asked questions (Oct 27, 2026)